Refrigerator.



H. VON WOLFORSDORF.

REFRIGERATOR.

APPLICATION FILED DEc.26, 1914.

1,171,566. I k v Patented Feb. 15,1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2- HANS VON WOLFORSDORF, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

nnrmennaron.

' Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 15, 1916.

Application filed December 26, 1914. Serial'No. 879,155.

To all whom it may concern fication, reference being bad therein to theaccompanying drawings.

This'invention relates to a refrigerator, and the primary object of my invention is to provide a refrigerator with aqueous heat excluding walls that insure a low-temperature in the refrigeratory compartment, without utilizing ice, brine or similar agents.

A further object of this invention is to provide an inner shell for refrigerators that permits of a seepage circulation of water being maintained throughout the walls of the refrigerator, with little or no attention whatsoever as to surrounding climatic conditions, the refrigerator being built with a view for universal use.

The above are a few of the objects attained by the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter particularly described, and then claimed, and reference will now be had to the drawings, wherein.

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a refrigerator in accordance with this invention; Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line IIII of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail sectional view of a portion of the refrigerator, illustrating the construction of a wall, and Fig. 4 is a perspec tive view, upon a small scale, of the refrigerator, illustrating dampers controlling the admission of air to the refrigerators.

, In the drawing, 1 denotes a rectangular casingpreferably made of wood, said casing being sup orted in an elevated position relative to a door by legs 2, thus permitting of a drip pan being placed under the casing.

The inner sides of the casing 1 are provided with spacedcleats 3 supporting a shell 4 covered with waxed paper 5 or a thin layer of impervious material. The shell 4 cooperates with the casing 1 in providing a dry air chamber 6. The cleats 3' are slotted, as at 7 to establish communication between different parts of the dry air chamber,

which acts as an insulation and isolates the refrigeratory agent as far as surrounding climatic conditions are concerned.

The inner walls of the shell 4 are provided with cleats 8, similar to the cleats 3, and these cleats support a porous structure, comprising spaced walls 9 and 10. The outer walls 9 are preferably made of pressed or matted fiber of suflicient porosity as to hold water.

The inner walls -10 are preferably made of unglazed earthenware. Between the walls 9 and 10 there are spaced vertically disposed porous earthen conduits 11 provided with angularly disposed branches 12 of a similar material. The upper ends of the conduits 11 are in communication with a pan or receptacle 13 upon the top of the porous structure within the shell .4 and the lower end of the conduits terminate in branches in proximity to the bottom of the porous structure. The branches 12 of the conduits assist in spacing the Walls 9 and 10 and said conduits are adapted to conduct water to the walls 9 and 10 and by its evaporization tends to reduce the temperature about said walls.

Between the walls 9 and 10 and inclosing the porous earthen conduits 11 is a porous material 14, powdered or granular, and as an instance of such material there may be cited, sawdust. This material is capable of absorbing water and moisture, and by reason of the porosity of the-entire structure, an evaporation takes place within the refrigeratory chamber 15 formed by the porous earthen walls 10. The inner sides of the walls are provided with ledges 16 for supporting shelves 17.

The shell 4' cooperates with the porous structure in providing a moist air chamber 18 and in the bottom of saidehamber is a drain trough 19 that extends around the vertical walls 9 of the porous structure to collect drippings from said walls. The drain'trough 19 has a drain or drip, pipe 20 extending through the shell 4 and the casing 1.

Communicating with the moist air chamber 18, at the back and at one side of the refrigerator, as best shown in Fig. 4, are

door frames 21 extending through the shell 4 and the casing 1. The door frames 21 are wall of a dwelling, one or the other of the doors 22 can be used for regulating the admission of air to the chamber 18.

To fill the pan or receptacle 13 with water,

the casing 1 and the shell 4 are provided with a filler pipe 23 having a detachable cap 24. The filler pipe 23 is located centrally of the top of the refrigerator and from time to time water can be placed in the pan or receptacle 13 to flow into the porous earthen conduits 11 and seep into the sawdust 14 and the porous walls 9 and 10.-

The front side of the refrigerator has a doorway 25 at the open side of the porous structure to accommodate a hinged door 26. This doorhas an earthen lining 27 corresponding to the walls 10 of the porous structure.

The evaporation of water in connection with the porous structure maintains a low temperature in the refrigeratory compartment or chamber 15, and with the moist air chamber 18 in communication with the atmosphere the evaporation of water can be regulated through the medium of the doors 22. I attach considerable importance to the construction of the porous structure as this structure can be used in connection with refrigerators of various types. Therefore,

while in the drawing there is illustrated a preferred vembodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that the structural elements are susceptible to such variations and modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claim.

What I claim is In a refrigerator, a casing, a shell in said casing cooperating therewith in providing a dry air chamber, a porous structure in said shell cooperating therewith in providing a moist air chamber, a drain trough in said shell at the lower edges of said porous structure, said porous structure'comprising inner earthen walls, outer fibrous walls, vertically disposed earthen conduits between said walls, a receptacle on said porous structure within said shell adapted to supply water to said conduits, branches forming part of said conduits adapted to conduct water to the walls of said porous structure and a porous material surrounding said conduits and the branches thereof. e

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HANS VON WOLFORSDORF, Witnesses:

ANNA M. Donn, KARL H. BUTLER. 

